I Dare You
by LightsPast
Summary: Written for The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, round 12 - Lisa's eyes sparkled. "In fact- I dare you to kiss Blaise Zabini!" The two girls gave each other triumphant looks, as if they had found a failsafe solution to the problem.


**Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, Round Twelve**

**Team: Montrose Magpies**

**Position: Chaser 3**

**Challenge: Write about your OTP having a misunderstanding.**

**OTP: Padma/Blaise**

**Prompts: Poor, Dialogue: "It's not what it looks like!", Jest**

**Words: 1, 568**

* * *

Padma was the good girl.

She was the sensible twin, the one who preferred books over boys, libraries over parties, robes over a dress. She was pure as snowflakes in the sky, never-been-kissed never-fallen-in-love pure.

But there was something about those indigo eyes …

"Padma?"

"Padma!"

Padma's head snapped around from its viewpoint at the Slytherin table to look at Mandy and Lisa. The two girls smirked knowingly at her.

"It's not what it looks like!" Padma said defensively replied to their raised eyebrows.

"Oh really?" Mandy grinned. "Because, you know, it looked a lot like you were dreamily gazing at a certain Slytherin boy for the fifth time this week."

Embarrassment stained Padma's cheeks scarlet as she stuttered denials.

"Who would have ever guessed that you had a crush on the unattainable Blaise Zabini, of all people?" Lisa teased.

Padma's blush deepened. "I do not have a crush on him!" She hissed. "And keep your voice down, someone might hear you."

"You do realise that you're pretty much just proving that we're right," Lisa smirked. "Anyway, it's obvious that he likes you too. You're just too infatuated to notice."

"Aaah, poor lovestruck Padma," Mandy laughed.

"What do you mean, 'he already likes me'?" She asked, confused by both the statement and the odd fluttering it elicited in her chest. "Anyway, I don't even like him!"

"Of course you like him, Pads," said Lisa. "You don't just look at anyone like that. That's a special look." She sounded completely sincere, but Padma couldn't help the feeling that she was being mocked.

The girls groaned at her sudden scowl. "Oh, come on, Padma! If you don't like him, then what do you call that endless gazing?" Lisa gave her a look.

"I don't like him! I'm just … interested." She ignored the tingling in her chest.

"Then, if you're so interested in him, why don't you kiss him?" Mandy questioned.

"Huh- what?!" This conversation had taken a sudden turn that Padma wasn't quite sure she was comfortable with. "You're joking, right?"

"Yeah!" Ignoring her completely, Lisa's eyes sparkled. "In fact- I dare you to kiss Blaise Zabini!"

The two girls gave each other triumphant looks, as if they had found a failsafe solution to the problem.

"Dare?" Padma scoffed uncomfortably, tossing her long plait over her shoulder. "What do you think I am, a Gryffindor? That's Parvati, not me."

Her gaze darted over their shoulders to the Slytherin table just in time to catch Blaise's gaze as her lifted his head.

Caught in his characteristically intense gaze, she felt frozen, until he looked away abruptly, and she jerked upwards.

"I-I've got to get to arithmancy," she said, and hurried out of the great hall as fast as she could.

* * *

After arithmancy, Padma was making her way through the halls, when Lisa darted up to her. "So, when are you going to kiss Blaise?" She asked mischievously.

Padma frowned. "You're not actually being serious, are you? I'm not going to kiss him just because you dared me to!"

"Oh come on, Padma! Live a little!" The blonde called at her retreating form.

* * *

Padma was walking towards the great hall for lunch when it began. A little Ravenclaw, perhaps a third year, darted up to her. "I dare you to kiss Blaise!" She squealed and ran giggling back to her friends.

Padma gave a perturbed look at the cluster of third years and continued walking. "Kiss Blaise!" shouted Michael Corner from across the corridor, laughing.

"Yeah, Padma, we dare you!" called Terry.

She whirled around. "Wha-?" A group of fifth year Eagles ran past, shouting out in a jumble of words. Padma managed to pick up 'kiss', 'Blaise' and 'dare!'.

She blushed angrily, and marched down the halls, head held high, refusing to hear the cries of her fellow Ravenclaws.

How could Lisa do this to her? She'd told _everyone!_ Padma was mortified. What – Oh Merlin, what if Blaise had heard? There was a strange heat in her chest, which she shrugged off as embarrassment.

Oh, she was going to _kill_ Lisa.

* * *

Padma marched into the Great Hall, mustering as much dignity as she possibly could, eyes burning with vengeance. Of course, it was hard to be dignified when she passed the Slytherin table and suddenly a bunch of sixth year Ravenclaws, _her friends, those traitors,_ called out "C'mon Padma, we dare you!" They roared with laughter, and Padma felt herself blush yet again.

The other houses looked on in confusion as the Ravenclaws grinned.

_Thank Merlin, the other houses don't seem to know what's going on,_ Padma sighed in relief. The thought would just have been _too embarrassing _to comprehend.

As it was, she marched up to the table, and said accusingly, "How could you do this to me?"

Mandy grinned. "You need to take the initiative, Pads. It's obvious he likes you, but he's not going to make the first move. You need to sweep him off his feet, show him that you like him too! But to do that, you need to be a little brave. You need to be a Gryffindor!"

"But I'm _not_ a Gryffindor!" Padma swept her hands into the air helplessly, trying to make them understand. "I told you, that's Parvati. She's the one who kisses guys and takes the initiative. I was put into Ravenclaw for a reason. I'm not cut out for that. I- I'm just Padma."

"Ah, but you didn't deny that you liked him," Mandy's eyes twinkled.

Padma groaned. "I just can't handle this right now. Think what you want, but I'm _not _going to kiss Blaise Zabini!"

And for the second time that day, she swept out of the Great Hall, studiously avoiding glancing towards the Slytherin table.

* * *

After an entire day of being shouted at in the halls, having students pass her notes in class and kids running up to her, Padma was most thoroughly fed up.

She had given up on trying to ignore the shouts of "I dare you to kiss Blaise!", instead turning to give the owner of the voice a disapproving look.

It seemed that the entirety of Ravenclaw was in on this ridiculous scheme. She felt a scowl settle over her features. It had been bad enough having her friends discover her secret. Now her _whole house_ knew. She stalked down the staircase into the entrance hall, heading for dinner.

She was feeling a little tense, a bit on edge. She wasn't used to having this much attention payed to her; she was a good student, a quiet classmate, slipping under the radar. And that had been just the way she'd liked it.

_Hopefully by tomorrow, people will have lost interest. At least the Slytherins still haven't gotten wind of it_, she thought. _I would have just died of embarrassment if Blaise … _She shuddered at the thought of the mortification.

But, you know the expression. Speak of the devil.

Just as Padma reached the entrance hall, a bunch of Ravenclaws were exiting. A handful of Slytherin sixth years were waiting to get in, including Blaise Zabini, the unknowing subject of the day's drama.

The Ravenclaws spotted the Indian girl and perked up with mischievous excitement.

"Hey, Padma!" Hollered a young girl, indistinguishable in the crowd. "I dare you to kiss Blaise!"

And of course, every eye in the hall turned towards her – including the indigo eyes of Blaise himself.

Heat rushed to Padma's cheeks and right there and then she swore vengeance on that _stupid little second year_.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spied Blaise. He was watching her, curiously, smirking. Amused.

A wave of uncharacteristic boldness swept over her, brought on by the day's tiring events.

_You want me to kiss Blaise-Fucking-Zabini? Well then, I'll do just that._

She marched across the now silent space. The distance between the two seemed endless, an expanse. Her palms were sweating and for a second, she faltered.

But no. Padma _was _going to do this. She was going to show them that she wasn't going to just lie down and let them walk all over her.

And most of all, she wanted to. She was going to do this because she wanted to and that was it, end of story.

She stormed up to Blaise, stopping in front of him. He opened his mouth, to say something, but she just grabbed the front of his robes and kissed him.

Heat. Sparks. Fireworks. A scorching hot explosion in her heart.

Blaise seemed stunned, but he kissed her back. _He kissed her back_. She let herself revel in this victory, then pushed him away, taking a big breath.

"ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?" She shouted at the Ravenclaws, who all looked as though they'd been punched in the face.

Then she turned back to Blaise.

Colour had invaded his perfect cheeks, his hair was mussed, composure thoroughly kissed away. His indigo eyes were unreadable.

"Am I to take from that, that you only kissed me because they dared you to?"

Did he sound – upset?

The courage all used up, Padma wasn't quite sure. She looked at the ground, embarrassed. "Actually … I did it because I wanted to."

It was silent. Padma peeked up. Blaise just stood there, watching her.

Then, he grinned. "You know what?" he said thoughtfully. "You're a pretty interesting girl Padma Patil."

* * *

**Well, that was awful. I changed my pairing three times and then I was very sick and then I was very busy, so this was just a one-at-night kinda fic. I swear, I'll never procrastinate again!**

**Please leave a review, I would love some constructive criticism (:**


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